My v is not quite there yet, but it’s aging. I’m trying to plan ahead. I will be driving from Louisiana to NYC and back this fall and I want to consider replacing the traction battery before I depart. I’ve looked through threads and am having a hard time finding a thread specific to whether this is a good idea to replace NMH with Lithium on a 2012 Prius v. There seems to be come opinions NOT to do it on models it wasn’t intended to be on. However the v has been Lithium in Europe for years. I’ve watched installation vids here but I haven’t seen a pro con thread appropriate to 2012 v. your insights or threads appreciated.
First I would not change your hv battery unless it codes or forces your engine to run a lot or all the time at lights and other stops. The problem is your car is not setup for the Toyota lithium battery from a control and monitoring standpoint and from a physical location perspective. The second problem is the aftermarket retrofit option has been a problem from a reliability and safety standpoint. Short lifespans and modules burning have been reported. The supplier has now changed to a sodium battery retrofit and still does not include an appropriate Battery Management System. The smart repair is still an oem NiMH system which can be found for $2k, sometimes less if you or your mechanic installs it. You can easily get ten or more years from a new oem. Rebuilt for almost the same money will last 6-24 months and guarantees are often broken. Aftermarket new modules often fail in 24 months as well. You are handicapping your help by not disclosing your location.
An opinion is just that, but someone who has actually used said lithium batteries is a more hands on opinion and yes some factory quality control issues have caused module swelling and sometimes smoke but there have not been any fires or other severe issues. The ECU in the prius is what controls all charging to the modules and a BMS in each module is not needed, you do not see that in the OEM modules because again the ECU controls all charging aspects of the hybrid battery. I have been testing these lithium batteries in my car since the start and have never had any safety issues happen. System always triggers a code when there is a problem. There are some on here who would like to see a different design when making these batteries but that is just their opinion and not a valid reason to think these batteries are unsafe to use. When changing your HV battery I would also suggest to replace your voltage sensor harness with one from AcenBay.com which is an upgraded version with better connection. You can use my promo code "azusa" to save 10% at AcenBay.com you can also get the newest HV battery Toyota hybrid battery upgrade pack– NexPower Energy
I wonder how you have ever gone about buying anything in life rjparker. Unless you just have an opinion but that would be just your opinion and not fact.
talk is cheap shipping isn't Battery for 2012 Toyota Prius V | OEM Parts Online links to dealers with special walkin, walkout with your new high voltage pack parts deals welcome ! No matter how one chooses to replace a hi voltage battery pack in a prius, don't forget to read the fine print or invoice for that annoying core charge some vendors add on.
Thanks. I’ll call them. They distribute to a dealership in Baton Rouge. I can drive that. I just need to be sure that they aren’t going to charge me to ship the old core back to California for 2-300 bucks.
Don't forget to call Jack at nexcell and study up on what he;s currently got too, if you are thinking about a lithium retro fit. If I had a gen 2 or 3 I'd have one already and possibly be another installer. I kept my opinion on Project Lithium out of my post above due to the priuschat project lithium detractors We're all pretty much guessing at what actually went down in that my nexcell battery caught fire thread linked to above. Just watch and see what happens below this post keepin my fingers crossed nobody gives me any s!@#$% about it, but I'm not counting it, either.
